Adjustable wire screw holder



April 2, 1940.

L. STIFTER El AL 2, ,525 ADJUSTABLE WIRE SCREW HOLDER Filed Sept. 26, 1938 Patented Apr. 2, i940 UNITED STATE ,PATENT oFFICE Louis Stifter and Enoch .Swedman, St. Paul,

Minn., assignors to Seeger Refrigerator Company, St. Paul, Minn, a corporation of Minnesota Application September 26, 1938, Serial No. 231,668

4 Claims. (01. 85-221) 1 I I screwing the screws through spirally wound por- I Our invention relates to an improvement in an adjustable screw holderwherein it is desired to provide a means for holding screwsfirmly in position. In the manufacture of various devices,

5 such as automobiles electric refrigerators, and other objects in which relatively thin sheets of metal are used, it has been usual practice to provide reinforcing means containing a series of tapping holes into which bolts may extend in 10 fastening two pieces of the device together. In recent years the use of self-tapping screws has become popular, but these screws are likely to not 'fit properly after they have once been rev moved and have the further disadvantage of not being strong enoughtosupport any great amount of pressure. The self-tapping screws can only be used with metal up to a certain thickness,.as beyond this thickness the screws are injured during the insertion thereof and the threads there- 0 it has been necessary to use bolts which engage a tapped opening in a suitable nut or in a suitable reinforcing member overlying the sheets of metal to be attached. I 1

It is the object of the present invention to provide a device whereby ordinary wood screws or the like may be used to fasten two members together. This screw extends into a suitable holding means formed of wire or similar material, in such a way that the threads of the screw firmly engage in the holder with as much strength as may be obtained through, the use of a bolt of similar diameter. This construction enables us to detachably securetwo sheets together by wood CFI removal into the holding means and which therefore may be used again after they have once thereof to be spread farther apart or moved closer together so as to engage screws which may not be placed with great accuracy.

In other words, our invention enables two members to be securely fastened together by merely drilling holes at intervals, inserting or- 55 dinary wood screws through these holes, and

upon are stripped. If a firmer joint .is desired,

screws which are not injured by the insertion or tions in a wire holding member. The wire holding member is stretched apartor compressed together so that the spirally wound portions correspond with the drilled openings through the members to be secured together. As the ordinary wood screw is formed with deep threads, the spirally wound portions of our holding member may extend deeply into these threads and firmly engage the screw. Thus it is virtually impossible for the screw to be pulled out while in vide a wire screw holder formed of wire of proper diameter to fit into the threads'of a screwof predetermined size. If the wire is of the proper gauge, this wire may fit firmly into the thread of the screw and engage the screw throughout approximately half its area.

These and other objects and novel featuresfof our invention will be more clearly and fully set forth in the following specification and claims.

In the drawing forming a part of our specification: l i -Z Figure 1 isa perspective view-of a joint between two flat members illustrating the use of our wire screw holder.

Figure 2 is a front elevation view of our screw holder in readiness for use.

Figure'3 is a side elevation view of a portion of our screw holder.

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view through the spirally wound portion of our screw holder, shown in engagement with a screw.

The wire holder A may be formed of a single length of wire or similar material as shown. This wire is centrally bent into a loopl0 and twisted together at H. An enlarged loop [2 of wire is then provided to\ permit the holder to be shortened or lengthened at will. The wire is then twisted together at l3 and bent into a spirally wound portion l4. Each end of the wire twisted at l3 forms approximately one and one-half turns of the spiral winding l4, one endof the wire entering the central loop of the spiral windsired, several loops 16 may be formed. in succession with the wires twisted together as at I! between these adjacent loops [6. At the end of the succession of loops 5, the wire is twisted together as at l9 and the ends of the wire again are formed into the central loop of a spiral winding 20, identical with the winding 4. The

. ends of the wire are twisted from thecentral loop provided between successive spiral coils or a single loop It may separate these coils. It will be seen that longitudinal pull on the holding means 7 will act to tighten the spiral coils, therefore, even more securely engaging the screw such as 22 engaged in a spiral winding.

In operation thescrew such as 22 may be extended through aligned openings in a pair of members 23 and 2 2 which are attached together and may be screwed into one of the spiral. windings, such as It or 26. The spiral shape of the winding fitsthe spiral thread in the screw and the Wire from which the holding means A is formed is of proper gauge to engage into the thread of the screw a maximum distance. It will be seen from Figure 4 of the drawing, that almost one-half of the circumference of the portion of the coil engaging the screw is in contact with the screw, and thus the screw is held 1 with virtually the same degree of security that is provided by the usual nut engaging a bolt of the same diameter. The pointed end on the screw makes the same very easily inserted into the spiral windings and the assembly of the two parts 23 and 24 may be accomplished in a minimum of time. Any inaccuracy in the spacing of the holes25 and 26 through the members 23 and 24 may be compensated for by slightly stretching or compressing the holding means A.

In accordance with the patent statutes we have described the principles of construction and operation of our wire screw holding device, and while we have endeavored to set forth the best embodiments thereof, we desire to have it understood that this is only illustrative of a means of carrying out our invention and that obvious changes may be made within the scope of the following claims without departing from the spirit of our invention.

We claim:

1. A wire screw holder comprising a pair of wire members; spiral coil means formed thereby of a'diameter to threadably engage a screw; and loops interposed between said spiral coil means to hold said coil means in spaced relationship.

2. A wire screw holder comprising a pair of wire members twisted together at intervals to provide a screw engaging means engageable into the threads of a screw; said screw engaging means being of a diameter to retain the screw threaded thereinto, said wires forming loop means between said screw. engaging portions.

3. An adjustable wire screw holder comprising a pair of wire members of proper thickness to engage firmly within the threads of screws of a predetermined size; a series of spiral coils formed by said wire through which the screws may be threaded; and loop means formed by said wire members between said coils, spacing said coils apart. 5

1. A screw holder comprising a series ofspiral coils of a diameter to threadably engagethe screws and deformable variable spacing means connecting said coils, said variable spacing means being: formed of deformable material which may be deformed a greater or lesser amount to vary the eliective distance between adjacent coils.

LOUIS STIFTER. ENOCH SWEDMAN. 

